2005 Newsletter

Sixteen Years of Lochcarron Sailing Club.

Lochcarron Sailing Club was established just sixteen years ago. The first membership list had thirteen names on it. There are still seven of these names with us. Where are the others?

Sadly Douglas Gunn, our first Commodore is no longer with us. He died just over a year ago.

Phillip Pendred is still in the village, but like many sailors he is a loner, and club membership is not his cup of tea. Stuart Macleod also still in the village has too many other interests to spend time in the Club.

Tony Wells from the Kirkton houses was never much involved, but before he left us in 1991 he provided us with the buoys, some of which are still in use for sailing marks. Ed Perry, from the pottery in mid Strome, secretary for our first year, took little interest in the club thereafter. Angus Mackenzie from Ardaneaskan was on that first list of members but I have no knowledge of any activities with the Club.

An interesting snippet from the records. There were only three Murrays when they joined, David, Mhoira and John. Robbie and Douglas names came along later. This introduces one point about club members. Although we are a young club as sailing clubs go, the majority of our junior members are even younger – 33 out of 38.

Some members joining in our early days have left the area as work or studies have taken them to other parts of the country. The Coppock family in Dollar are continuing their sailing, Jonathan making his mark in national events. The Bank of Scotland moved their manager Willie Macdonald to Broadford. Young Adam had been winning in some of the series of races in his time in Lochcarron. Although we still have the Sproule name on the books, Neil is now at college in Aberdeen. He was also doing well in our dinghy races. An early junior recruit, Chris Matheson, is another who moved to Aberdeen for college.

We have lost a few junior members to other sports. When they do well, as Laura Mackay has done with her badminton, we cannot much regret the loss.

So, the Club changes, but it still goes on. There are more than half of that small band who met in 1989 still around – Carter, Davidson, Forrester, Hendry, McDowall, Murray and Teago are still names on the membership list.